Stephen Goepfert, President Biden's Out Personal Aide, Leaves Job at Week's End

Stephen Goepfert, the first out out gay man to hold the role of personal aide to a president, will depart the West Wing for a position in the Transportation Department. 

Few, if any, of those in the President's inner-circle has spent more time with President Biden than Goepfert, according to CNN. He leaves at the end of the week.

"From the campaign to the White House, Stephen Goepfert has been by my side," Biden said in a statement. "In moments big, small, and extraordinary, he's been a trusted and loyal confidant who everyone counts on and who always delivers. Jill and I will miss Stephen, but we're proud that he will continue to serve the American people in his new role in the Biden-Harris administration as he continues his career in public service."

CNN adds that Goepfert is "the first White House staffer Biden sees most mornings, and the last he sees nearly every night, Goepfert's tenure as Biden's 'bodyman' was marked by a keen understanding of the cadence and details, both big and small, that drive a man who has been a public official for more than four decades, according to senior advisers."

Goepfert is hard to miss in the President's entourage: he's the man with the beard seen in the background of presidential appearances. He will be succeeded by Jacob Spreyer, who currently serves as the official White House receptionist.

"I have worked with and seen many body people over the years, Stephen is at the top," White House chief of staff Ron Klain said. "It's a tough and grueling job, and no one has done it with the competence, kindness, and warmth that he has."

He is the latest in a string of departures from the administration,"adds the New York Post. This summer, the White House press team saw several members – Mike Gwin, Vedant Patel and Amanda Finney – leave for other administration positions. Press secretary Jen Psaki left in May. In addition, communications director Kate Bedingfield was set to leave the administration to spend more time with her family – but in July, she decided otherwise.

The Independent writes that "during the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr Goepfert was often the only aide who was with Mr Biden physically most days to set up Zoom calls and interviews."

"You're literally at the border of where the President's privacy and public duties sit – you have to have the right touch and right skill set," Biden aide Steve Richetti, who serves as a counselor to the president, said. "Stephen has had the ability and the willingness to help the President navigate everything he did throughout the day. That ends up being a critical role."